Windermere’s Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Samantha Enos, sat down with Bill Radke of KUOW this past month to talk about the increase in Puget Sound home prices. Enos has made it her mission to support DEI strategies, planning and programming throughout the Windermere offices, serves on the Seattle-King County REALTORS Board of Directors and is a member of the National Association of REALTORS Mentorship program.
After experiencing a downturn in the market last year, high prices have created a barrier for many buyers, in particular for potential buyers from marginalized communities in the Puget Sound region. To combat this housing issue, Windermere has partnered with HomeSight to create the Sam Smith “Hi Neighbor” Homeownership Fund, with the goal to make homeownership equitable for low-to-moderate income Black/African Americans by providing deferred, low interest loans. Windermere has acknowledged that in addition to experiencing the same financial barriers as other low-income home buyers, racial inequities have caused for fewer resources to be readily available, which has led to homeownership rates in the Black/African American community to lag far behind the rest of the population in Washington State. To learn more about the Sam Smith fund visit here.
Listen to the host of Seattle Now, Bill Radke and Windermere’s VP of Diversity, Samantha Enos, talk about what’s out there to help BIPOC buyers get into the market.
